Sennheiser goes mass market with its new S$219 IE 200 IEMs

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Sennheiser goes mass market with its new S$219 IE 200 IEMs

Note: This article was first published on 3 February 2023.

The Sennheiser IE 200 (Image source: Sennheiser)

The new IE 200 is Sennheiser's most affordable IEM yet in its revered IE collection. This includes the awesome IE 900 flagship and more affordable models like the IE 600 and IE 300.

At S$219, however, the IE 200 breaks new ground by being the most affordable model in the IE collection. To give that number some context, the previous entry-level IE IEM, the IE 300, launched at S$449.

Like the rest of the IE range, the IE 200 features the company's 7mm TrueResponse transducer.

In the IE 200, however, Sennheiser says it's been tuned with a diffuse field target in mind, which is interesting because most consumer headphones tend to be tuned these days with the Harman curve as a target – consumers tend to prefer a more bass-heavy sound. If this all sounds gibberish to you, head over here to find out more about reference target curves.

The sound of the IE 200 is therefore quite unique. I've been listening to one for the past two or so weeks and its best qualities are its treble, soundstage, and imaging.

The treble is sparkly and smooth, making jazz tracks a particular delight. The soundstage is wide and the imaging is one of the most precise I've heard in an IEM under S$500.

My main complaint, however, is that it's lacking low-end punch. Now while this gives music an airy feeling, it doesn't lend itself so well to some genres like rock and EDM and makes them sound flat.

The IE 200 uses a 7mm True Response driver. (Image source: Sennheiser)

Visually, the IE 200 is very similar to the IE 300. The shape of the monitors themselves appears to be identical with the only difference being that the IE 300's shells have a patterned finish.

The other difference is the cable. The IE 200 comes with a braided cable that I find to be more resistant to tangling and easier to coil up for storage.

Speaking of storage, this is one area where Sennheiser was able to cut costs and bring the price of the IE 200 down because you get a soft carry pouch instead of a hard carrying case that the more expensive IE IEMs get. Still, it's completely serviceable. However, you still get three pairs of silicone tips and foam tips.

Overall, the IE 200 sounds like a great choice for music lovers whose playlists consist mostly of jazz and classical pieces. I won't call it super affordable but it's still the least expensive IEM in Sennheiser's lineup and that has to count for something.